


my eyes will find yours in every world.

by blahblahblahwriting



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: Alternate Ending, Canon Rewrite, F/F, swanqueen - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-24
Updated: 2021-02-24
Packaged: 2021-03-14 17:22:22
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,088
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29670669
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/blahblahblahwriting/pseuds/blahblahblahwriting
Summary: an obligatory rewrite of a scene that had swanqueen gold potential circa S4E5.or - the confession we all needed.
Relationships: Evil Queen | Regina Mills & Emma Swan, Evil Queen | Regina Mills/Emma Swan
Comments: 2
Kudos: 49





	my eyes will find yours in every world.

**Author's Note:**

> my first EVER swanqueen fic *cue applause*. i am unhealthily obsessed with these two, so of course i had to put a spin on the heteronormative narrative. as usual, i am not 100% confident in this one, so please please leave all the comments and let me know if i should write moreee ! xx

Ever since she had _accidentally_ brought Robin’s (ex)-lover back from the dead, Emma had returned to Ms. Swan in Regina’s eyes. Officially experiencing the cold shoulder of the Evil Queen, the blonde found herself missing the constant quips and jabs that had become slightly more loving over the years. So, when she ran into the brunette in the woods whilst looking for the Ice Queen, she had no choice but to consider it fate. They were, of course, the two most capable in the town to defeat such an eminent threat.

Despite her various apologies and attempts at rekindling the semblance of friendship they’d grown to share, Emma found herself repeatedly rejected. And she truly didn’t blame Regina for the grudge she held, but that didn’t mean it didn’t hurt the blonde to see empty brown eyes staring back at her.

As the two approached Elsa’s ice staircase, Emma fought the urge to hold Regina back from testing its stability. She knew any attempt at offering protection would be met with resistance, but the sheer thought of Regina facing any form of danger sent shivers up her spine.

“Regina, wait!” she barked. As if an explanation was necessary, she continued, “we don’t know how stable this thing is. Better safe than sorry.”

Unsurprisingly, this simply elicited a glare from the reformed Evil Queen, who proceeded to step onto the ice sculpture. “It’s safe,” she reported, unamused.

Choking back an eyeroll, Emma followed the brunette. They had made it halfway across the bridge when the Ice Queen’s destruction began. As the staircase began to crumble, Emma instinctively clutched onto Regina’s arm. The brunette crouched to the ground and started mumbling curses at her mirror, which, of course, Sidney occupied. It was only then that Emma realized she had been lied to once again. Not only did Regina know where Sidney was, but she was working with him.

Emma quickly decided that her anger would have to wait; they were still in danger. Regina was still in danger. When the brunette’s conversation came to a close, Emma prompted her to sprint to the cliffside.

“JUMP!”

And just like that, the two “frenemies” had avoided death once again by the skin of their teeth.

After reuniting with Elsa, Emma’s attention was returned to Regina’s deception.

“You told me you didn’t know where Sidney was,” she started as she drew close to the once-intimidating woman. “I guess I’m to blame for being stupid enough to actually trust you.”

Emma’s words had always seemed to be the only ones that could actually hurt the Queen. And in the expression which briefly occupied her face, this was evident.

“Because I was supposed to tell _you_ that I’d teamed up with Sidney to kill Marian and then changed my mind. You’d surely have believed that.” she retorted, mostly managing to hide her insecurity. “And I am _not_ going to forgive you, Swan. We are _not_ going to be friends. So get over it.”

“Regina . . .,” Emma started. But it was too late; the brunette had disappeared into her signature cloud of purple smoke.

* * *

The savior turned to see Elsa’s heavy eyes apologizing to her.

The ice princess closed the distance between them and whispered, “Do you love her?”

Emma’s eyebrows quickly shot upward as she barked, “What do you mean, love her?”

“Emma, you know what I mean.” Elsa smiled. “I’ve seen the looks you two share. I’m not exactly familiar with social cues in this world, but I think love is universal.”

The taller blonde was met with a silence which seemed to answer the question for both women.

“Don’t give up,” Elsa pleaded. And as if knowing of the blonde’s impending resistance, she explained, “Please. I learned that from my sister. When someone is important to you, you don’t give up. Ever.”

* * *

A few hours later, Emma took the liberty of letting herself into the Queen’s vault.

“I’m an idiot,” she bellowed, desperately attempting to gain the brunette’s attention.

And as always, she succeeded. Regina turned to face the blonde as she spoke, “Finally, something we can agree on.”

Emma took a noticeably deep breath, perhaps trying to gain the courage to say the words she’d shoved down for so many years.  
“I’m an idiot because I haven’t allowed myself to accept the real reason I act the way I do around you.”

Regina quirked an eyebrow.

“I’m an idiot because the first time I saw you, my breath got caught in my throat. And, inappropriate considering the circumstance, I know; but whatever. I’m an idiot because every single thing you do sets me off like a nuclear reactor and I talked myself into believing it was because I hated you.”

The brunette seemed to contemplate the emotional unraveling taking place before her. _Of course it’s because you hate me; not quite a revelation, Ms. Swan._

“But I don’t hate you, Regina. Not at all. I wanted to hate you. Mostly because you hated me. But I _never_ have. And it’s not because I’m the savior and hating people is foreign to me. It’s because . . .,” she began to trail off, obviously losing her composure.

_“Ms. Swan?”_ Regina prodded.

“Right,” Emma choked out. “I don’t hate you. It’s something close, but not hate.”

Another deep inhalation.

“I love you, Regina. I have loved you from the day I met you and more every day since. And I hate that I love you. I despise it. Mostly because I know that you don’t love me; far from it, actually. But, regardless, I love you. And I’m sorry that makes me act crazy but I obviously don’t exactly know how to deal with loving someone and maybe somewhere, subconsciously, I knew that Marian was his wife and I just wanted to save whatever it was that we might have had, but –“

Despite the whirlwind Regina had entered since Emma had last opened her mouth, she decided her pitiful declaration was in need of an interruption.

_“I knew you knew who she was!”_ Regina retorted, after having lost the ability to clearly think through her thoughts.

At this, Emma’s face fell. She turned her back to Regina for what she swore was the last time and began to exit the bunker. And then she felt a hand grab her own.

“A joke, Swan. I’m _joking_.” And in a moment that felt like it had been destined for centuries, brown and green eyes locked on one another.

Regina was the first to break the silence.

“You love me?”


End file.
